It became clear on Thursday, February 13 2025 that the National Parks Service had removed any mention of transgender individuals and the word queer from the Stonewall National Monument’s website–the Stonewall National Monument is the site of the famed Stonewall Uprising, a foundational event of the fight for queer civil rights, of which transgender and gender nonconforming people were an essential part. New York City activists and local government officials quickly assembled a “No LGB without T” Protest for the next day.
As the famed Stonewall Inn, site of the Uprising, and its corresponding Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative shared, “This blatant act of erasure not only distorts the truth of our history, but it also dishonors the immense contributions of transgender individuals–especially transgender women of color–who were at the forefront of the Stonewall Riots and the broader fight for LGBTQ+ rights.”
By noon on February 14, Christopher Park, the site of the Stonewall National Monument, was filled with speakers, leaders, activists, and citizens from the LGBTQ+ community, all decrying the aforementioned erasure–as it stands right now, the site only lists the designation “LGB” and does not use the word queer to explain the significance of the Stonewall National Monument. To ignore transgender and gender nonconforming contributions to the Stonewall Uprising is not only a factual error, it’s a dangerous one. Transgender and gender nonconforming people have been a vital part of queer history and American history since the country’s founding (and long before).
The commitment of such an outrageous fallacy comes on the heels of the administration’s Executive Order 14168, “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.” But transgender people can’t be erased from trans history, queer history, or American history. Speakers gathered to combat the erasure, calling for equal rights, for the National Parks Service and New York State elected officials to stand up for their constituents, for the importance of acknowledging trans and gender nonconforming contributions LGBTQ+ history, for the support of cisgender individuals, and for the support of trans and gender nonconforming lives.
Here are photos from the February 14 “No LGB Without the T” Protest.
Outside Christopher Park
Elyssa Goodman
At the Stonewall National Monument
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Bernie Wagenblast, a voice of the NYC Subway, and activist Randy Wicker
Elyssa Goodman
At the "No LGB Without T" Protest
Elyssa Goodman
At the "No LGB Without T" Protest
Elyssa Goodman
At the "No LGB Without T" Protest
Elyssa Goodman
Activist Tabytha Gonzalez at the "No LGB Without T" Protest
Elyssa Goodman
Reverend Yunus Coldman at the "No LGB Without T" Protest
Elyssa Goodman
At the "No LGB Without T" Protest
Elyssa Goodman
Performer, model, and activist Angelica Christina at the "No LGB Without T" Protest
Elyssa Goodman
Performer and activist Marti Gould Cummings at the "No LGB Without T" Protest
Elyssa Goodman
Activist Tanya Asapansa-Johnson Walker, co-founder of the New York Transgender Advocacy Group
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Student and activist Lorelei Crean at the "No LGB Without T" Protest
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Clark Wolff Hamel, Acting Executive Director of PFLAG, at the "No LGB Without T" Protest
Elyssa Goodman
Performer and activist Rene Imperato at the "No LGB Without T" Protest
Elyssa Goodman
Bernie Wagenblast, a voice of the NYC Subway, at the "No LGB Without T" Protest
Elyssa Goodman
At the "No LGB Without T" Protest
Elyssa Goodman
At the "No LGB Without T" Protest
Elyssa Goodman
At the "No LGB Without T" Protest
Elyssa Goodman
At the "No LGB Without T" Protest
Elyssa Goodman
A sign honoring transgender activist Marsha P. Johnson at the "No LGB Without T" Protest
Elyssa Goodman
At the "No LGB Without T" ProtestElyssa Goodman
Sister Rich B* Claire of the The NYC (dis)Order of SistersElyssa Goodman
Performer Chloe Elentari at the "No LGB Without T" ProtestElyssa Goodman
Outside Christopher Park, in front of restaurant Jeffrey's GroceryElyssa Goodman
Nurse and patient smiling.
Holding hand of patientImage via Canva - Photo by Pitchaya Pingpithayakul
Holding the hand of a patient.Image via Canva - Photo by Portra
A stress-out employee reacts to an emailCanva
A woman stares at her cellphone after a car accidentCanva
An empty desk at workCanva
Ketel Marte was brought to tears during an MLB game after facing a shameful fan taunt.
Baseball manager's poignant support for a player brought to tears after shameful fan taunt
Whether they’re expecting perfection from their favorite players or, worse, behaving callously toward opposing teams, sports fans often forget that athletes are human beings. But athletic competition has the ability to unify and uplift, even amid such painful and unpleasant encounters. Take, for example, a major-league baseball game held June 24, 2025 between the home team Chicago White Sox and visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.
A shameful low point occurred when Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte was at bat in the seventh inning. Per ESPN, a fan reportedly yelled out a comment regarding Marte’s late mother, Elpidia Valdez, who died in a 2017 car accident in the Dominican Republic. Team personnel, including manager Torey Lovullo, then requested the 22-year-old fan be ejected. (Though he was remorseful and admitted his actions were inappropriate, according to an ESPN source, he was nonetheless banned indefinitely from all MLB ballparks.) "We commend the White Sox for taking immediate action in removing the fan," the MLB said in a statement. Marte reportedly declined to comment.
- YouTubewww.youtube.com
While the fan’s behavior is inexcusable, it did spark a powerful and inspiring moment. After hearing the comment, Marte was visibly upset, prompting Lovullo to walk on the field, put his arm around him, and offer some words of encouragement. "[I said,] 'I love you, and I’m with you, and we’re all together, and you’re not alone,'" Lovullo said in a post-game interview, as documented by The Rich Eisen Show. "'No matter what happens, no matter what was said or what you’re heard, that guy is an idiot.’"
According to Arizona Republic, Lovullo heard the fan’s comment but didn’t want to repeat it. “I looked right at [Marte] when I heard,” he said. “I looked right at him, and he looked at the person, as well. He put his head down and I could tell it had an immediate impact on him, for sure."
Elsewhere in the post-game interview, the manager called the moment "terrible" and reflected on why he stood up for Marte. "Fans are nasty, and fans go too far sometimes," he said. "I love my players, and I’m gonna protect them…I’ve known Ketel for nine years. He’s had some unbelievably great moments and some hardships as well and some really tough moments in his life. I know those. At the end of the day, we’re human beings, and we have emotions. I saw him hurting, and I wanted to protect him."
- YouTubewww.youtube.com
The following day, the Chicago White Sox X account sent out a message in support of Marte, writing, "We’re with you" and "Baseball is family." On The Rich Eisen Show, the show's host addressed the need to eradicate this kind of toxic athlete-fan interaction: "I was hearing [people saying], 'There’s no place for this in major league baseball.' There isn’t. There’s no place for this in our society. I understand that people are saying the MLB has got to do something about this. Fans have a right to heckle players—this is something that has happened forever…But there is a line."
In another recent, depressing sports moment with a beautiful coda, let’s look to Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the eventual champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. During the first quarter, Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton tore his right Achilles tendon—a devastating injury that could potentially sideline him for most of the 2025-2026 season. Following the game, in a lovely display of sportsmanship, Thunder point-guard and league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went to the Pacers locker room to check on his competitor. In a press conference, he said, "You just hate to see it, in sports in general. But in this moment, my heart dropped for him. I can't imagine playing the biggest game of my life and something like that happening. It’s so unfortunate."
- YouTubewww.youtube.com